Mobile : All About Android 4.1, Jelly Bean

The fastest and smoothest version yet, Android™ 4.1, Jelly Bean, improves on the simplicity and beauty of Android 4.0 and introduces a new Google™ search experience on Android.

Android 4.1 Updates

Will your Samsung device receive an update to Android 4.1, Jelly Bean? See the list.

Do you have a Samsung Galaxy S® III or Galaxy Note 10.1? The latest software update now features Android™ 4.1, Jelly Bean, and new enhancements.
Learn more about the Galaxy S III update.
Learn more about the Galaxy Note 10.1 update.

Fast and Smooth

With buttery graphics and silky transitions, moving between home screens and switching between apps is as effortless as turning pages in a book. More reactive and uniform touch responses mean you can almost feel the pixels as your finger moves across the screen. Jelly Bean makes your Android device even more responsive by boosting CPU when you touch the screen, then turning it down when you don't need it, which improves battery life.

Simple, Beautiful and Beyond Smart Android has always put you in control when it comes to staying notified and connected. Now you can take action directly from the notifications shade. Late for a meeting? Email everyone to let them know. Missed a call? Return the call instantly. And because notifications are expandable, you can get an even deeper look into the things that matter most, such as multiple emails or photos on Google+™.

Widgets Work Like Magic With Jelly Bean it's now even easier to personalize your home screen. As you place widgets on the screen, everything else automatically moves to make room. When they're too big, widgets resize on their own. Interacting with your favorite apps and customizing your home screen has never been easier.

Seamlessly Take and Share Photos Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, made snapping photos super fast. Now Jelly Bean brings that same speed to viewing. Just swipe from camera to filmstrip view to instantly review your new photos, and quickly swipe away the shots you don’t like. Now sharing—and bragging—are a breeze.

A Smarter Keyboard Android’s dictionaries are now more accurate, and more relevant. The language model in Jelly Bean adapts over time, guessing the next word before you’ve even started typing it. With improved text-to-speech capabilities, voice typing on Android is also easier—with or without a data connection—so you can type with your voice everywhere you go.

Accessibility With Jelly Bean, blind users can use Gesture Mode to reliably navigate the UI using touch and swipe gestures in combination with speech output. Jelly Bean also adds support for accessibility plugins to enable external Braille input and output devices via USB and Bluetooth.

Android Beam With Android Beam™ on Jelly Bean you can now easily share your photos, videos and more with just a simple tap. Just touch two NFC-enabled Android devices back-to-back, then tap to beam your content—anything on the screen—including contacts, web pages, YouTube™ videos, directions and apps. Plus, instantly pair an Android phone or tablet to Bluetooth® devices like headsets or speakers that support the Simple Secure Pairing standard by just tapping them together—no more syncing or searching required.

The New Google Experience on Android

The best of Google just got better on Android. The search experience in Jelly Bean has a new look-and-feel, and has faster and more natural Google Voice Search™. And Google Now™ brings you just the right information, before you even ask.

A New Look for Search: Android has search at its core. With Jelly Bean, a redesigned experience uses the power of the Knowledge Graph to show you search results in a richer way, so it’s easier to quickly get answers and explore search results.

Voice Search: Android lets you search the web with your voice, and it's convenient for getting quick answers on the fly. It speaks back to you and is powered by the Knowledge Graph, bringing you a precise answer if it knows it, and precisely ranked search results, so you can always find out more.

Google Now Brings the Right Information at the Right Time: It tells you today’s weather before you start your day, how much traffic to expect before you leave for work, when the next train will arrive as you’re standing on the platform, or your favorite team's score while they’re playing. And the best part? All of this happens automatically. Cards appear throughout the day at the moment you need them.

Android, Google, Google+, Android Beam, Google Now, Google Voice Search and other marks are trademarks of Google Inc. The Android robot is reproduced or modified from work created and shared by Google and used according to terms described in the Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution License. Company names, product names and marks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners and may be trademarks or registered trademarks. Screen images simulated. Appearance of device may vary.